Introduction
The inControl Podcast is a long-form interview series dedicated to systems and control, distributed free of charge across all major podcast platforms. The project supported by the IFAC Activity Fund contributed to the production of new episodes during the reporting period, complementing substantial in-kind contributions from the host and from NCCR Automation, which together sustained the broader production pipeline.
Project Details
- Project Lead: Alberto Padoan, Ph.D., The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; [email protected]
- IFAC Sponsor: TC 9.4 Control Education
Summary
The inControl Podcast is a long-form interview series dedicated to systems and control, distributed free of charge across all major podcast platforms. The project supported by the IFAC Activity Fund contributed to the production of new episodes during the reporting period, complementing substantial in-kind contributions from the host and from NCCR Automation, which together sustained the broader production pipeline.
Activities and Deliverables
During the reporting period, the inControl Podcast released approximately 40 episodes featuring leading researchers in systems and control, including Jean-Jacques Slotine, Stephen Boyd, John Doyle, and Cleve Moler, alongside emerging voices from across academia and industry. Episodes covered the mathematical foundations of feedback systems, applications of control engineering, and the societal impact of automation. All episodes were produced to a consistent editorial standard and distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and other major platforms.
Reach and Impact
Cumulative listenership exceeded 150,000 across more than 150 countries and territories, with over 2,500 monthly listeners at the time of writing. The podcast has helped to broaden public engagement with the field, with particular reach among graduate students, early-career researchers, and listeners outside traditional academic centres. Inclusion and diversity have been a deliberate editorial focus, with explicit attention to representation of women in control, early career researchers, and voices from under-represented regions.
Use of Funds
The IFAC Activity Fund award of EUR 5,000 was used in full to engage professional sound-engineering and post-production services. At prevailing rates for the level of editing required, the award covered the full post-production cost of approximately 2.5 episodes out of the 40 episodes produced during the period. The remaining post-production, hosting, recording infrastructure, software subscriptions, equipment, scheduling, guest correspondence, social media, and editorial work were sustained through in-kind contributions from the host and through complementary funding from NCCR Automation, which currently covers a portion of the editing and sound-engineering pipeline. The IFAC contribution thus served as a targeted, episode-level subsidy within a substantially larger production effort.
Acknowledgements
The host gratefully acknowledges the IFAC Activity Fund Committee for its support, TC 9.4 on Control Education for sponsoring the activity, and NCCR Automation for complementary funding. The host also thanks the guests who generously contributed their time, and the listeners whose engagement sustains the project.
